There are hundreds of emergency calls a day where first responders exhibit heroism to save lives.
This week, the City of Tumwater recognized several city staff members and a community member who don’t provide lifesaving medical care every day, but did so on Jan. 5.
“We had a member of our community have a very serious medical emergency, and it just so happened that we had city staff on site who took immediate action,” Tumwater Fire Chief Brian Hurley said during a Tumwater City Council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
“It’s not always a good outcome. We deal with a lot of bleakness, a lot of heartbreak, so it’s really important to celebrate the wins, and we get to do that with some extended family tonight, so that’s really cool,” said Medical Services Officer Alex “AC” Bates.
Tumwater city staff members Dan Smith, Tyle Zuckowski, Patrick Soderberg and Steve Craig, and community member Patty Riley, were recognized for providing lifesaving CPR to a community member, Tom Doenitz, who suffered a heart attack on Jan. 5.
“Normally I’m here to complain about something else, but not tonight,” Doenitz said Tuesday. “Tonight, I’m here to say thank you, and as I start to meet more and more people, I realize how many people it actually took to save my life.”
When somebody has a heart attack, a series of actions, called a “chain of survival,” need to happen, Hurley said.
Someone needs to call 911 quickly, the patient needs to receive good CPR early, and the patient needs definitive paramedic care followed by definitive care at the hospital.
“And all the pieces fell into place with this event, fortunately,” Hurley said.
According to Bates, cardiac arrests have an estimated 25% chance of surviving with that chance dropping by 10% every minute someone isn’t intervening.
Medic 8’s response time to Doenitz’s call on Jan. 5 was 7 minutes, Bates said.
“Truly heroic effort that day. They absolutely did save a life,” Bates said of the city staff who provided CPR.
Bates noted that several of those staff members got their training through a free CPR class at the Tumwater Fire Department
“Truly, getting a CPR card and getting trained says a lot about who somebody is,” Bates said, adding that providing CPR for the first time “is truly a harrowing experience. The first time all of us went through it — it’s shocking. But we get paid.”
Thurston County Medic One regularly offers free CPR classes for those who live or work in Thurston County.
To sign up, visit the Thurston County website.
